USF breaks ground on new golf facility

After the many upgrades that have been made to the USF athletic department in recent years, the newest addition to the athletics face-lift was introduced Wednesday. The mens and womens golf teams, as of next year, will have a place to call home.

USF received a $1.3 million donation from Shaukat and Antonina Chowdhari, the parents of mens golfer Adam Chowdhari. The donation is going toward a state-of-the-art indoor golf facility that will be used for both the mens and womens golf teams next season. The 5,040 square foot facility will be located at The Claw, USFs off-campus golf course, and will be named the Chowdhari Golf Center after the donors.

USF Athletics had a public unveiling of the facility under construction Wenesday, and the Chowdharis were showered with appreciation. USF mens golf coach Chris Malloy was overjoyed at what he jokingly referred to as the best and most expensive birthday present he has ever received.

One thing we always preach is family and family environment, he said. And if were going to preach that, then what you have done is given our family a home and well be forever grateful.

After a new softball/baseball complex and soccer stadium were built and renovations were made to the Sun Dome, USF athletics topped off a productive year with the new golf facilities. Next season, USF golfers will get to enjoy indoor hitting bays along with offices for staff, a kitchen, locker rooms and showers among other amenities.

USF Athletic Director Doug Woolard said he was thankful for the generosity of the Chowdharis.

You have just changed a big part of USF athletics forever, Woolard said. This facil-ity will help us recruit high quality golfers and high quality student athletes, and will also then give us the opportunity to help those athletes to develop to be as good as they can be.

Malloy sees the building as a big boost for the team in terms of competing and recruiting.

To be able to get in the game with the athletes of the level were going after, were going above and beyond. he said.

Womens coach Marci Kornegay, said she sees the facility as something that will help take them to the next level.

Coming off a great year with the Big East Championship and to move into this facility, its like pushing an elephant down a hill, she said. Were not stopping anytime soon.